Topps is coming to the end of the
second year of its exclusivity with an MLB license.
Upper Deck had an MLBPA license in
2010, but no MLB license, which meant they could only make cards with
players only, no logos or team names. UD didn't follow those rules and got sued.
So, for some time there was just one.
The longtime card company stood alone
creating a variety of products that were received differently by the
collectors. Regardless if a collector liked or disliked a set, it
seemed there was one thing they all wanted – competition.
Most people understand competition
is good in a business marketplace. It doesn't allow companies to get
complacent. I'm not saying this is what Topps has done. It has put
out some really good products this year such as Gypsy Queen.
Still, we wanted more.
Consumers wanted options.
On Thursday, we got one step closer,
although we're not entirely there. MLBPA gave a license to Panini America to create baseball cards. The catch? Just like Upper Deck,
they cannot use team names and logos because those are with the MLB
license.
